All I Wanted to Say
by NogeiloGirl
Summary: Stephanie is starting over, and if it’s one thing she doesn’t need right now istrue love to get in the way of true logic!


All I wanted to Say  
Stephanie is starting over, and if it's one thing she   
doesn't need right now is-true love to get in the way of true logic!   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the WWE or it's wrestlers, Vince McMahon has that honor.   
  
"Love to Love You" is by the Corrs and is not mine. "Loss for Words," is by Tait and is not mine either. Lyrics are in //.  
  
Chapter 1  
"Just what do you think you were doing out there!" Stephanie McMahon fumed, fists clenched at her sides.  
Staring at down at her through narrowed eyes, the wrestler replied caustically, "Protecting myself."  
"I told you specifically, I wanted no interference."  
"Can I help it if a few of my buddies wanted to offer a helping hand?" he asked innocently.  
"Yes you can," she replied evenly, poking a perfectly manicured fingernail into his chest.  
"Look, don't get your panties in a twist.."  
"No, you look Jericho, I want to do things right this time. I called for a fair, clean match and you didn't deliver," Stephanie accused.  
"You know, Bischoff is looking better and better all the time," he responded casually, though Steph could hear the unmistakable threat in Chris's tone.  
Stephanie turned around with a weary sigh, "Don't make me choose Chris."  
Dumbfounded, Chris's jaw dropped in shock, uncertain of what she meant.  
  
Later that night, at a local bar and grill:  
"I didn't mean what I said to her," he expressed apologetically to the man beside him.  
"Well, then why did you even bother to bring it up?" his friend demanded, drumming his fingers on the table.  
The discouraged man shrugged, "I don't know, it just came out I guess. I'm used to it," Chris responded with a shrug.  
"Yeah well, maybe she's not," he snapped. "Chris, Steph doesn't need you giving her a hard time, She has enough weight to bear on her shoulders right now."  
"I know," Chris sighed, "It's like, like I can't truly say anything nice to her." Chris looked despondently at his friend, "All I really wanted to say was, " 'I'm in love with you, go out with me.' "  
"So, what's stopping you?" his friend challenged.  
Stirring his iced tea, Chris responded wryly, "Me."  
  
Stephanie rubbed her temples as she walked out to her car, *Oh, I don't know who's worse, Eric or Chris. Either way, they both manage to give me a headache.* Pressing the button on her watch, she stared down at the bright, neon glow emanating from the crystal face, "Geez, midnight already. All I want is a nice bath, some hot coffee and and cuddle up with..."  
"Your newest boyfriend," a wickedly teasing voice supplied behind her.  
Sighing deeply, Stephanie turned around. Feigning sweetness, she responded, "How nice of you to grace me with your presence Eric."  
"Why thank you Steph."  
"I'd prefer it if you would address me as Stephanie," she replied, gritting her teeth.  
"Sure, whatever you say-Steph. Listen, I have a proposition for you: give me Jericho and I will stay out of your life-forever!"  
"Piss off Bischoff! I'm very happy being under Stephanie," a furious voice answered, stepping out from behind the shadows.   
"Apparently, so is every other guy," Bischoff countered with an evil smirk.   
"I've worked with you before, and I know full well that you have no intention of keeping your promises," Jericho charged, crossing his arms over his chest.   
Bischoff looked back and forth between the two glaring faces. "Fine, suit yourself," he declared, "but you had be prepared for what you're getting into," Bischoff warned.  
"I can handle myself thank you," Chris replied stiffly.   
As Bischoff walked away, Stephanie turned to Chris, her mouth open in astonishment.   
"Consider it an apology-for earlier this evening," Chris replied, a genuine smile on his face.  
"Thanks," Stephanie responded with a genuine smile of her own.  
  
The following night, in Charlotte, North Carolina:  
  
//I would love to love you like you do me  
I'd love to love you like you do me  
There's a pillar in my way you see  
I'd love to love you like you do me.//  
  
"I can't! I don't have time for that nonsense right now."  
"Nonsense! I'm only asking you out for a cup of coffee!"   
"I, I don't have time to start a relationship or fall in lo., love or anything," Stephanie replied nervously.  
"Who said anything about love?" Chris demanded, ignoring the pounding of his aching heart, but not the shakiness in her voice.  
"I want to keep things strictly business, no getting chummy with the employees," Steph replied coldly, lifting her head up a notch.  
"You know what, fine!" Chris yelled.  
"Oh, by the way, you have your wish Jericho, you are fighting Edge for the intercontinental championship belt tonight," Stephanie tossed over her shoulder as she walked down the hall at a brisk pace.  
Jericho could do nothing but stare after her in amazement, a big smile on his face, *She gave me a re-match!*  
Watching him stride purposefully toward the ring, Stephanie peeked out from around the corner, "I'm glad I was able to grant him one wish anyway," Steph admitted to herself in sad surrender.  
  
//You recognized my barrier to love  
I know there's nothing worse than unrequited love (unrequited love)  
So I prayed to God that I could give the love you gave to me  
But something's lying in my way, preventing it to be.//  
  
Hours later:  
"Thanks a million Steph, I owe you one!" Chris exclaimed, claiming her up in a bear hug. Feeling her feet leave the ground, Steph gently pushed at his broad shoulders, "Easy big boy, I am worth over a million dollars you know," she replied with a slight smile.  
"How could I forget," Chris replied, a smile quirking up the corners of his mouth. Patting the gold belt slung over his shoulder, "You're the billion dollar princess."  
  
On the phone, later that night:  
"The going out for coffee thing didn't work man. I'm desperate here. All I want for her is to go out with me, but she won't even concede to that, "What do I do? Why is she putting up such walls anyway?" Chris asked in frustration. Troubled, Chris's best friend didn't respond for a second,   
"That is something you should discuss with Stephanie-when the time is right.  
I think you should serenade her."  
"Serenade her, you've got to be kidding me?!" Chris questioned in astonishment.  
"No, I'm deadly serious. Make her feel special, wanted. Besides, you have a guitar don't you? You play in a band, why not?"  
"That's just-sissy," Chris declared.  
"Sissy, please. How do you think I won my wife. A guy has to be willing to be romantic once in a while if he wants to win the woman of his dreams."  
  
2:00 a.m.  
Hearing a rustling outside her window, Stephanie opened her gritty eyes sleepily. Thunk! *What the..* Groggy, from lack of sleep, a jumble of incoherent thoughts raced through her mind. "It's just the rain," Stephanie mumbled, covering her mouth delicately as a yawn overtook her. Once more, she tugged the warm blanket up to her chin. Suddenly, Stephanie jumped as she saw a good-sized, thick object strike her window. Summoning up her courage, Steph rushed to the window and pushed it up, "Who's down there? What are you trying to do, break my window?! Reveal yourself at once before I call the police!" Stephanie threatened.  
"Steph, it's just me."   
"Jericho?! What are you doing here? It's pouring down rain outside."   
Taking his guitar in hand, he slung it over his shoulder and calmly adjusted the strap.   
"Chris no! You'll wake the neighbors!"  
"What neighbors?" he asked innocently, a blank look on his face. "Oh, those neighbors that you have a mile down the road you mean."   
Stephanie looked at him sheepishly, "Well, uh, yeah."   
"Besides, silly me, I thought you would be concerned, since I am standing out here in the rain and all, with my guitar in hand."  
"Don't be silly, of course I care. Put that thing down. You'll get electrocuted if you don't come inside and..."   
"Nope, not coming inside, I have important business to attend to."  
"Oh really, what is that?" Stephanie asked, a slight smirk on her face.  
"You," Chris answered simply, not bothering to look up from tuning his guitar. Astonished, Stephanie could feel her heart thudding in her chest, unable to utter a single word.   
Continuing to softly strum his guitar, Chris looked up at Stephanie, her long, brown hair gleaming in the moonlight. As if holding her breath, Stephanie leaned over the windowsill in anticipation, (though she wouldn't, couldn't, let it show on her face of course,) her lustrous tresses cascading over her shoulders."Paul left me you know-after he promised he would love me forever," Stephanie said suddenly, her tone subdued.  
Jericho looked up at her in surprise, his wet hair plastered to his face, "I thought you had both broken up of mutual accord?"  
"We did, after I discovered that he had found someone else-to whisper sweet nothings into her ear," Steph finished bitterly.   
"Why are you even here Jericho?" she demanded, irritated.   
"I'm sorry Paul treated you that way, I didn't realize.."  
"Most people don't and it's not your fault. Things happen," Steph trailed off with a sigh, resting her chin in her hands.  
"Don't fall out the window," Chris joked, "or I might have to catch you."  
"And that would be so bad?" Stephanie questioned softly, a smile on her lips. Chris looked up at her and smiled. *Shoot, be completely professional Steph,* she scolded herself. Allowing a mask devoid of emotion to cross her features, Stephanie pulled back from the windowsill, the moonlight barely touching her face.  
"Maybe you will have to catch me Steph," Jericho replied softly.  
Stephanie watched observantly, as the emotions fluttered across his face for a mere moment, wondering precisely what he meant, only to feel the sting of bitter disappointment when she saw them disappear beneath the surface. Almost as if he could read her mind, Jericho spoke up out of the blue, "The Ayatollah of Rock-N-Rolla never says anything that he doesn't mean." Stephanie stared down at the rain-drenched, determined young man in child-like wonderment. His voice came out soft and clear, as Chris gazed intently up at Stephanie, who had never heard him sing so beautifully, until now.   
  
//I'm at a loss.   
I'm at a loss for words, I'm finding for myself.  
What can I do when every road I travel leads me back to you, instead   
of somewhere else. I apologize...  
  
Cause what I wanted to say only got in the way.  
I never meant to hurt you, but I didn't have a clue.  
  
I'm just a man.  
I'm just a man in need of something better than, I'm finding for myself.   
You count the cost, for everything you gain there's always something lost.  
You're worth so much more.  
Listen to my heart whispering, I need you!//  
  
"I need you too," Stephanie echoed softly, tears shimmering in her eyes.  
He moved to take the guitar off of his shoulder, when all of a sudden Chris heard Stephanie let out an ear-splitting scream. Looking up, he gasped. "I've got ya!" Chris yelled confidently. Looking down at her with utter tenderness, the corners of his mouth quirked up in a smile, "I didn't mean literally."  
"It was an accident. I leaned out too far and slipped-but I would have fallen for you anyway," Stephanie replied with a smile. Eagerly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and placed an ardent kiss upon his lips. Pulling back, she looked down at his side and frowned, "Hey, you don't have an amplifier!" she exclaimed.  
"Ya know, I kind of had a hard time finding one, so I'd thought I'd bring my acoustic guitar along. Thanks for the concern though," Chris quipped with mischievous grin. Stephanie searched his eyes, which seemed to twinkle, bathed in the light of the moon. She ran her hands through his normally blond, now muddy brown hair, leaned in close and caressed his face with her fingertips, "I love you-even though you look like a drowned rat," she whispered, giggling.  
"Well, little miss all that, will you marry this drowned rat?"  
"Only if you'll marry this water-logged princess."  
Chris pulled her closer, and nuzzled her nose, "I take it this means we're skipping the coffee part?"  
"I think so," Steph replied, smiling as he framed her porcelain face in his hands. Gently he put her down, and stared into her face, mesmerized by her beauty.   
Anxiously, Steph asked, "What, what?!" As he delicately traced the lines of her cheekbones with his thumbs, he replied with a regretful sigh, "I don't know why I waited so long to tell you-all I wanted to say."  
  
One month later:  
"I love you Stephanie," Chris whispered sincerely into her ear, his arm wrapped snugly around her silk-clad waist. The now glowing husband and wife walked down the aisle, out the church doors and into the glorious sunlight. Once out of the church, Chris leaned forward and whispered gratefully to his best man, "Thank you Cyrano for all your help. I wouldn't have won her heart without you."   
"You're welcome my new found brother-in-law. But the greatest gift of all is seeing my little sister happy," Shane whispered with evident pride, as he watched Chris bestow yet another kiss on his beloved wife, Stephanie McMahon Irvine.(er, I mean Jericho. :)  
The End. 


End file.
